Various types of electrical interconnection systems are known. Exemplary interconnection systems include those which are used to connect one or more electrical conductors on one printed circuit board or card to one or more respective electrical conductors on another printed circuit board or card. Other types of exemplary interconnection systems are those used to connect one or more conductors of an electrical cable to one or more respective electrical conductors of another cable, a printed circuit card or board, a terminal, etc. Other types of electrical interconnection systems also are known.
The present invention is useful in a variety of such electrical interconnection environments; however, a preferred embodiment is used as a board to board, i.e., to interconnect the conductors on one printed circuit board with the conductors on another printed circuit board.
A disadvantage encountered in prior board to board interconnection systems has been the relatively large amount of space required for the connectors, both on and between the respective boards, thus consuming space in an apparatus in which the boards are used and the lateral space required on the board, sometimes referred to as real estate. It is desirable to minimize the space requirements for interconnection systems.
Other disadvantages in prior electrical interconnection systems encountered due to contact design include variations in insertion forces, a need for large insertion forces to assure strong electrical connections between contacts, interruption in electrical continuity due to dirt between confronting contact surfaces, wearing of contacts due to sharp burrs and the like on the contact metal, etc.
In conventional non-hermaphroditic electrical connectors for use in various electrical interconnection systems plural parts, one typically being referred to as a male part and one as a female part, had to be designed, engineered, and manufactured. Typically a male electrical connector would have one type of contact and one type of housing; and a female electrical connector would have a different type of electrical contact and housing designed to mate with the male. The housings support the contacts, often provide protection and alignment functions for the contacts, and even guide one connector to connection with the other. Such housings also help to hold themselves and the contacts thereof in electrical interconnection engagement with each other.
The more separate parts required for the electrical interconnection system, the more designing, engineering and manufacturing time, effort, and cost are required to complete the interconnection system and the larger the number of parts typically required for adequate inventory supply.
The housings for conventional electrical connectors often are designed to withstand various forces, such as torques, shears and stresses, which are produced by the contacts. It would be desirable to reduce such forces thereby to reduce the strength requirements for the connector housings.